Last week-end I participated in my first charity walk of the season. The weather could not have been worse. At race time it had warmed up to 45 degrees and it was raining and windy. Most of the people who registered for the race showed up. They walked or ran and supported this charity, the Clara Jean Foundation. The 10K course bisected a walk/run for the American Heart Association. Throngs of people battled the weather to support their causes for a couple of hours on this Saturday morning. I was proud to be one.
The Clara Jean walk this year offered a $5.00 doggy registration. The dogs got a bandana with the foundations colors and logo. Also strollers were allowed with the dogs on the family fun 5k walk. Because of the bad weather, few walkers had their Logo T-shirts on so it was great to see the dogs showing their solidarity.
In 2009 a friend of mine made a New Year’s resolution to participate in a charity event every Sunday. He ended up walking or biking or paddling in 40 events. He spent a little over $1,200.00, about the same he donates yearly, and has T-shirts for life. He also lost 15 pounds, lowered his cholesterol, made some new friends, and learned a lot about causes, charities and diseases.
These types of charity events are fun, relatively inexpensive and a great way to educate yourself and others. What a nice way to spend a few hours on a week-end morning and get some exercise too!